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THE 



LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT 



CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH; 



SOME ADDITIONAL MEMORANDA RELATING TO HIM. 



Repkinted from the " Peoceedings of the Massachusetts Histokical 
Society" fok January, 1867. 



,A 






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/ CAMBRIDGE: 
PRESS OF JOHN WILSON AND SON. 
1867. 



FIFTY COPIES PRINTED. 



LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT, &c. 

OF 

CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH. 



Mr. Charles DEA^^E read the "last will and testament" 
of Captain John Smith,* of Virginia and New-England 

* From this will it seems certain, that Smith left no wife or children; and it is very- 
probable that he was a bachelor. Mr. Charles Campbell, in his " Historj' of the Colony 
and Ancient Dominion of Virginia," published in 1860, (at p. 83,) cites a recent book 
entitled " A Year with the Turks," by Warington W. Smyth, A.M., London, the writer 
of which claims descent from our Captain Smith. It would seem to be a safe propo- 
sition for any one bearing the name of Smith, to say that "John Smith" was his 
ancestor; but it might be more diiiicult to demonstrate, that a certain John Smith, who 
lived two or three hundred j'ears ago, bore that relation. 

The following letter from our Corresponding Member, H. G. Somerby, Esq., of 

London, will find an appropriate place here: — 

London, January 22, 1867. 

My dear Mr. Deane, — I have inuch pleasure in sending j'ou an abstract of the will of Cap- 
tain John Smith's father. I have not a full copy ; but I hope to visit Lincoln again before long, 
when I shall copy it verbatim et literatim. 

I send also an extract from the parish register of Willoughby, which was given to me by the 
clergyman there. I hare not seen the register myself, which I hope I may do sometime, in order 

to copy all the entries of the name of Smith. 

I remain very truly yours, 
Charles Deane, Esq. H. G. Somerbt. 

" George Smith, of Willoughby, near Alford, County Lincoln. Will dated March 30, 1596.t De- 
sires to be buried in the church of Willoughby. Bequeaths to the Right Honorable my Lord Wil- 
loughby, under whom I have many years lived as his poor tenant, as a token of my dutiful good- will, 
the best of my two years' old colts. Wife Alice, whom he commends to his eldest son, John, to honor 
and love during his life; younger son, Francis Smith; daughter Alice; kinsman, Robert Smith. 
Appoints his sons Jolin and Francis executors, and George Mettham supervisor. Witnessed by 
Thomas Sanbrough and Bartholomew Lawrence." 

Froin the Parish Register of Willoughby. 

" John, the son of George Smith, was baptized the sixth day of January, 1579." 

f Is there not an error in the date of this will as here given ? Smith says *' he was ahout thirteen years 
of age" when bis parents died. In March, 1596, he was in his seventeenth year. "True Travels," pp. I, 2. — CD. 



2 LAST WILL OF CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH. 

memory, from a copy which had been communicated to 
him by Mr. Henry Brooks Adams, the son and private 
secretary of our distinguished associate, the Hon. Charles 
Francis Adams, minister at the Court of St. James from 
the United States. Mr. Deane said that it would be 
seen that Captain Smith made his mark, instead of sign- 
ing his name to this instrument ; which must be ex- 
plained by the fact, that it was executed on the day of 
his death, namely, the 21st of June, 1631. 

The '■'^ Last Will and Testament" of Captain John Smith. 

In the name of God Amen the one and twentieth daie of June in 
the seaventh yeare of the reigne of our soveraigne Lord Charles by the 
grace of God King of England Scotland France & Ireland defender of 
the faith &". I Captain John Smith of the parish of S' Sepulchers Lon- 
don Esquio% being sicke in bodye but of perfect mind and memory, 
thanckes be given unto Almightie God therefore, Revoking all former 
wills by me heretofore made doe make and ordaine this my last will 
and testament in manner followinge. First I coiiiend my soule into the 
handes of Almightie God my maker hoping througli the merittes of 
Christ Jesus my Redeemer to receive full remission of all my sinnes 
and to inherit a jjlace in the everlasting kingdome, my body I coiuitt 
to the earth from whence it came, to be interred according to the dis- 
crecon of myne executors hereunder named, and of such worldlie goodes 
wherof it hath pleased God in his niercie to make me an unwortliie 
Receaver, I give and bequeath them as hereafter followeth. First I give 
and bequeath unto Thomas Packer Esq' one of the clerkes of His 
Ma"'' Privy Seale and to his heires for ever, all my houses landes tene- 
mentes and hereditamentes whatsoever scituate lyinge and beinge in the 
parishes of Lowthe and greate Carleton in the countie of Lincolne to- 
geather with my coate of armes. Item my will and meaninge is that 
in consideracon therof the sayd Thomas Packer shall disburse and paye 



LAST WILL OF CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH. 3 

all such soiiies of money and legacies as hereafter in this my will are 
given bequeathed and reserved not excedinge the soine of fowerscore 
poundes of lawfull money of England, that is to saie : First I resei've 
unto my selfe to be disposed as I shall thinck good in my life tyme the 
some of twentie poundes. Item he shall disburse about my funerall 
the soine of twentie poundes. Item I give and bequeath out of the resi- 
due of the said fourscore poundes as followeth, viz' I give and bequeath 
unto my much honored and most worthie freind S'' Samuel Saltonstall 
knight the soine of fy ve poundes. Itin to M"' Tredway the soirie of fyve 
poundes. Itm to my sister Smith the widowe of my brother the some of 
tenn poundes. Itm to my cosen Steven Smith and his sister the soiiie 
of sixe poundes thirteene shillinges and fower pence betweene them. 
Itm to the said Thomas Packer Joane his wife and Eleano"" his daugh- 
ter the soine of tenn poundes among them. Item to M"" Reynoldes the 
say M" of the goldsmiths Hall the soiiie of fortie shillinges, all w"*" lega- 
cies my meaning and will is shall be paid by the said Thomas Packer 
his heires executors or administrators w*in one yeare after my de- 
cease. Item I give unto Thomas Packer sonne of the above sayd 
Thomas Packer my trunck standing in my chamber at S'' Samuell 
Saltonstalls house in S' Sepulchres parish, togeather with my best suite 
of apparrell of a tawney color viz' hose doublet jerkin and cloake. Item 
I give unto him my truuke bound w"" iron barres standing in the house 
of Richard Hinde in Lambeth, togeather w"' halfe the bookes therein, 
to be chosen by the said Thomas Packer and allowed by myne execu- 
tors, and the other halfe parte of the bookes I give unto M' John Tred- 
eskin and the said Richard Hind to be divided betweene them. Item 
I nominate apointe and ordaine my said much honored freind S'' Sam- 
uell Saltonstall and the said Thomas Packer the elder, joynt executors 
of this my last will and testament; the marke of the said John Smith. 
Read acknowledged sealed and delivered by the said Captaine John 
Smith to be his last will and testament in the p''sence of us who have sub- 
scribed our names: per me WillmA Keble Sn''- civitatis London, Willm 
Packer, Elizabeth Sewster, Marmaduke Walker, his marke, witncs. 

Probatum fuit testamentum suprascriplum apud London coram ven- 
erabili viro Tlioma Eden legura doctore surrogati venerabilis viri din 



4 PROSPECTUS TO " GENERALL HISTORIE." 

Henrici Marten militis legum etiam doctoris Curite prerogativae Can- 
tuai-ieusis magistri custodis sive commissarij legitime coustituti primo 
die mensis Julij A° Domini 1G31 juramento Thome Packer senioris 
armio-eri unius executorum in hujusmodl testamentum nominatorum 
cui commissa fuit administratio omnium et singulorum bonorum jurium 
et creditorum dci defuncti de bene et fideliter administrando eadera ad 
sancta Dei Evangelia jurat reservata potestate similem commissionem 
faciend Samueli Saltonstall milit alteri executorum etiam in liujusmodi 
testamenti nominat cum venerit eandm petitur Ex''. 

Transcribed from the original Register ia the 
rrerogative Office of Canterbury, June 17, 
1862. — c. n. 

Mr. Deane said, that, when he was in London last 
summer, he saw, at the Pubhc-Iiecord Office, the letter 
addressed to Lord Bacon by Captain Smith, in 1618, 
referred to on p. 21, No. 42, of Sainsbury's " Calendar 
of Colonial Papers." The body of the letter was prob- 
ably not written by Smith ; but the signature, of which a 
fac-simile is here given, is, in all probabihty, his. 

-Jo- &vU^' 

Mr. Deane also stated, that he saw, at the library of 
the Society of Antiquaries, in London, in one of the 
volumes of "Broadsides," under the year 1623, a copy 
of Captain Smith's printed prospectus of his " Generall 
Historic," first printed in 162-i. In this prospectus, after 
describing the book, and giving a list of its contents, 
Smith concludes thus : — 



EPITAPH TO CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH. 5 

These observations are all I haue for the expenses of a 
thousand pound, and the losse of eighteen yeares of time, 
besides all the travels, dangers, miseries & incumberances 
for my countries good, I haue endured gratis; and had I not 
discouered and lined in the midst of these parts, I could 
not possibly haue collected the substantial trueth from such 
an infinite number of variable Relations, that would make a 
volume of at least a thousand sheetes : and this is composed 
in lesse then eighty sheetes, besides the three Maps, which 
will stand me neere in an hundred pounds, which summe I 
cannot disbursse : nor shall the Stationers haue the coppy 
for nothing. Therefore I humbly entreat your Honour, either 
to adventure, or give me what you please towards the im- 
pression and I will be both accountable & thankful : not 
doubting but that the story will give you satisfaction and 
stirre vp a double new life in the Adventurers when they 
shall see plainely the causes of all those defailements, & 
how they may be amended. 

And so I humbly rest. 

While referring to these memorials of Captain Smith, 
Mr. Deane took occasion to say, that he paid a visit to 
St. Sepulchre's Church, in London, under the pavement 
of which the remains of the hero were buried ; but he 
was not able to see the stone placed over those remains, 
as the floor of the church at the time was covered with 
a carpet of "kamptulicon," which .concealed all the monu- 
ments. The epitaph to his memory, however, it is un- 
derstood, cannot now be deciphered upon its tablet. It 
was fortunately preserved by an early chronicler, and was 



6 EPITAPH TO CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH. 

printed in Munday and Dyson's edition of Stow's " Sur- 
vey of London," published in 1633, two years after the 
death of Smith. As the inscription has not been often 
reprinted in this country, Mr. Deane thought it might 
not be deemed inappropriate to copy it here, in the pre- 
cise form in which it was originally printed. 

This Table is on the South side 

of the Quire in Saint Sepulchers, 

with this Inscription. 

To the Living Memory of his 
deceased Friend, Captains Iohn 
Smith, who departed this mortall 
life on the 21. day of luue, 1631. 
with his Armes, and this Motto, 
Accordamus, vincere est vivere. 

Here lies one conquer'd 

that hath conquer'd Kings, 
Subdu'd large Territories, 

and done things 
Which to tlie World 

impossible would seeme. 
But that the truth 

is held in more esteeme. 
Shall I report 

liis former service done 
In honour of his God 

and Christendome : 
How that he did 
I divide from Pagans three. 

Their Heads and Lives, 

Types of his Chivalry : 
For which great service 

in that climate done. 
Brave Si>/ismundas 

(King of Hungarion) 



EPITAPH TO CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH. 

Did give him as a Coat 

of Armes to weare, 
Those conquer'd heads 

got by his Sword and Speare ? 
Or sliall I tell 

of his adventures since, 
Done in Virginia, 

that large Continence : 
How that he subdu'd 

Kings unto his yoke, 
And made those Heathen flie, 

as wind doth smoke ; 
And made their Land, 

being of so large a Station, 
A habitation 

for our Christian Nation : 
Where God is glorifi'd 

their wants suppli'd, 
"Which else for necessaries 

might have di'd ? 
But what availes his Conquest, 

now he lyes 
Inter'd in earth, 

a prey for Wormes and Fhes ? 
O may his soule 

in sweet Elizium sleepe, 
Vntil the Keeper 

that all soules doth keepe, 
Returne to Judgement, 

and that after thence. 
With Angels he may have 

his recompence. 

Captaiue lohn Smith, sometime Gover- 

nour of Virginia, and Admirall 

of Neiv England. 



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